A mobile device can incorporate a variety of electrical components that can generate heat, which can travel throughout the mobile device and reach external surfaces of the mobile device. When heat builds up within a mobile device, the mobile device may be programmed to throttle certain functions of the mobile device, thereby limiting the performance of the mobile device. If heat is not managed adequately within the mobile device, throttling can occur more often than necessary, which can diminish the user experience because of a lack of reliability of the mobile device. Moreover, if heat is not mitigated at certain locations of the mobile device, external surfaces of the mobile device may cause discomfort for any user that is touching the mobile device.